High Protein Chocolate Granola with Almond Butter

Name: High Protein Chocolate Granola with Almond Butter
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup almond butter; 1/2 cup maple syrup; 3 tablespoons cacao butter; 2 tablespoons coffee (optional, but enhances the chocolate flavor!); 3 tablespoons cacao powder; 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 cups rolled oats; 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (salted); 1/2 cup almonds (raw); 1/4 cup chia seeds

Jump to Recipe

This High Protein Chocolate Granola is packed with almond butter, almonds, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds making it over 20 grams of protein per serving! It’s also naturally vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free. Serve with parfaits, puddings, smoothie bowls, or with fruit for breakfast or dessert!

Two bowls of granola with milk and berries on blue napkin.

I love eating granola as a healthy snack or with breakfast. It has the perfect crunch, is a great source of healthy fats and protein, and adds the best touch of sweetness.

The only problem is store-bought granola can be pretty expensive and is often loaded with refined sugars and excess oil.

Luckily making your own high protein granola at home only takes 30 minutes and can last for months if stored in an airtight container. This means double or triple the batch and reap the rewards for weeks to come!

Why This Recipe Works

Making homemade granola is both easy and healthier as you can control the amount of sugar and oil used!
This version is also not only incredibly high in protein, but contains NO expensive protein powders – just good old nuts and seeds!
Homemade granola is very customizable – use the nuts and seeds you have on hand or leave out the chocolate for a plain high protein granola.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients needed for granola recipe measured into individual bowls and labeled.

rolled oats – It’s important to use regular rolled oats (not instant oats or steel cut oats) and use gluten free oats if needed. If you use quick cooking, instant oats, your high protein granola won’t retain it’s texture.
pumpkin seeds – Also called pepitas, these seeds are nutritional powerhouses that add a subtle nutty flavor to the high protein granola. Substitute with sesame seeds or sunflower seeds.
almonds – Add great protein and heartiness to this granola. They also compliment the almond butter flavor so nicely! Substitute with chopped pecans, if desired.
chia seeds – Adds protein and helps hold this granola together into perfect clusters! I do not recommend substituting with flaxseeds or hemp seeds.
almond butter – I love making granola with almond butter because it is much more neutral tasting than peanut butter. Feel free to substitute with peanut butter, cashew butter, or even Nutzo, just be sure whatever you use does not contain added sugars or preservatives.
cacao butter – I use cacao butter in this recipe in place of oil as it adds a unique richness and undertone chocolate flavor. Cacao butter also melts very easily at a low temperature, which helps prevent burning the chocolate mixture. If needed, substitute coconut oil. If you have leftover cacao butter, try my White Chocolate Mocha!
coffee – Optional, but adding a touch of coffee helps boost the chocolate flavor!
cacao powder – Gives the essential chocolate flavor without adding unnecessary sugar.

Step by Step Instructions

Move the oven rack to the lowest rung on the oven, then preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. It’s important to do this before starting the granola as you want to spread it quickly once the granola is mixed with the chocolate mixture.

TIP: I do not recommend using a reusable silicone baking mat for making homemade granola. In testing this recipe, granola baked on a silicone mat got significantly less crispy than granola baked on parchment paper.

If you do not have parchment paper or prefer not to use it, I recommend greasing the pan and baking granola directly on the sheet pan instead.

In a large bowl, mix together the rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, raw almonds and chia seeds and set aside. This is where the high protein granola gets all of its protein content!

Two photos showing dry ingredients added to a bowl and then mixed together.

In a small sauce pan, add the almond butter, maple syrup, cacao butter, coffee, cacao powder, coconut sugar and vanilla extract. Heat over low to medium heat and whisk until just combined.

Two photos showing the wet ingredients added to a sauce pan and then after being melted.

Once fully melted and whisked together, pour the chocolate mixture over the oat mixture. Using a spatula, mix to combine until oat mixture is completely coated in the chocolate.

Two photos showing the wet ingredients being mixed into the dry ingredients.

Quickly spread the high protein granola mix onto the baking sheet in a thin, uniform layer.

Bake the high protein granola for 30 minutes, or until the outside pieces of the granola look crispy. Because this granola is made with almond butter, it may not feel done in the center, but it will firm up considerably as it cools.

Two photos showing the granola before and after baking.

Once removed from the oven, allow the high protein granola to cool COMPLETELY before breaking into clusters, ideally 1 hour or longer.

Granola broken into clusters after baking.

Store leftover high protein granola with almond butter in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

FAQs

Why did my granola not get crunchy?

It could be a number of things, but the main culprits are usually either not spreading the granola thin enough on the baking sheet or pulling it out of the oven too soon.

Why does my granola taste burnt?

If the chocolate mixture is heated too quickly it can burn. It just needs to be heated enough to combine. The granola can also burn if it is not spread evenly on the baking sheet. If it is spread unevenly, the thinner areas will over cook and burn.

Why isn’t my granola breaking into clusters?

In order for granola to form clusters and clump together, it is important to use a sweetener and a binder. In this recipe, I used maple syrup and chia seeds to help the granola break into delicious, crunchy clusters.

Should I store my granola with almond butter in the fridge?

This high protein granola does best stored at room temperature in an air-tight container like a mason jar.

Tips for Success

Do not increase the oven temperature in an attempt to speed up the bake time. All granolas, but especially granola made with chocolate and almond butter needs to be baked low and slow to prevent burning and confirm it cooks through evenly.
When making substitutes, keep the wet and dry ratios the same. Granola recipes are very easy to customize, but it is very important to keep the ratios the same.
Don’t touch the granola until completely cooled. As tempting as it is, don’t do it! The granola continues to firm up as it cools and interrupting this process can cause it to lose its crunchiness.
If doubling the recipe, use multiple baking sheets! High protein granola is easy to make in large batches, but spread over multiple baking sheets to ensure the layer is thin and uniform. Thick layers will be difficult to cook through with out burning and will be difficult to make crunchy.

Clusters of granola on parchment lined baking sheet.

More Vegan Breakfast Ideas

This recipe was originally published on May 11, 2020 and has been updated on September 23, 2021 to included new photos, step by step photos with instructions, and tips for success. The original recipe remains the same.